Music for recorded voice, MIDI organ and percussion
For digital interface/MIDI pipe organ, two percussionists, electronics
and a set of audio recordings of Serbian Orthodox sacred chants
Including:
Tatiana Koleva (Percussion)
Ivan Vukosavljević (Composer)
Jan Hage (Organ)
This is a concept for an electro-acoustic composition between 30 to 40 minutes, for digital
interface/MIDI pipe organ, two percussionists, electronics and a set of audio recordings of the
medieval sacred chants of the Serbian Orthodox tradition. Structurally, it will be a set
of several pieces based around these recordings; with interludes composed for the
proposed instrumentation in between those pieces. The goal is to create a sort of
extended experience by amplifying the meditative/contemplative character of the
chants themselves, by inclusion of elements of diverse practices and cultures, western
and eastern, digital/electronic and traditional, into a single piece of music. The piece
will be a collaboration between Tatiana Koleva (percussion), Jan Hage (organ),
Orgelpark Amsterdam and myself.
All the main pieces will be based on recordings of several (6-8) chants, in such a way
so that the other parts (organ and percussion) will be a literal ‘extension’ of the
recordings. That will happen in a process where the audio files are converted to MIDI
files and those MIDI files then used as the score material for the pipe organ; which
will then play accordingly along side the audio recordings from which it was derived.
In this way the organ creates a sort of surreal environment for the chants, interfering
with and complimenting the singing.
The percussion parts will be derived from the same MIDI file, but reduced and
appropriated for two players on marimbas/chimes and then written down in a
traditional score. The percussion instruments are chosen so to give an association of
the original environment in which the chants would have been performed. Chimes -
which are of course bells; but, in the Serbian Orthodox tradition another instrument
has been used instead of the bell - Klepalo - which is a massive wooden panel played
by two wooden hammers. Therefore the use of marimba marimba in the piece (and
perhaps other same type instruments), but apart from the marimba I hope to acquire
an actual klepalo for the piece.
In this way both the finalized organ part and the percussion parts are an extension of
the chants themselves; all extra musical material is derived from the recordings
themselves through digital processing.
The interludes will be short composed pieces for organ and percussion, to serve as an
introduction to each specific chant and its specific mood, mode and key in which it
was composed.
The original recordings are by Dragoslav Pavle Aksentijevic, who recorded
many of these chants mostly in the 80s and 90s.
The piece will be developed at a residency in Orgelpark Amsterdam during 2023/24
Chant sample
Chant sample with Digital organ
Ivan Vukosavljević is a composer of contemporary classical and experimental music based in Den Haag.
His compositions range from solo and medium-sized ensemble to large ensemble works, centred around the exploration of both instrumental and ensemble/group playing possibilities, involving instrumental modifications, different temperaments and microtonality, non-traditional ways of playing, extensions of specific ensemble forces, etc., Using western classical instruments, rock and electronic instruments, Indian classical instruments, traditional instruments, etc.
Most recently he has been working on an audio visual album for 1/4 comma meantone organ, recorded on 5 historic instruments which involved several organists including Tineke Steenbrink (Holland Baroque) and Jan Hage. In March 2022 he received the 1st
prize at the Amsterdam Marimba Weekend composition competition for the work ‘The Ladder’. In 2021 he started a collaboration with Slagwerk Den Haag which shall result in two new works, one of which has already been completed (Sruti, for 3
shruti boxes). In 2019 with Ensemble Klang from Den Haag he produced a 45-minute piece (commissioned by Ensemble Klang andGaudeamus) which premiered in October 2019, and was released on EnsembleKlang records in March 2023. In 2018 he was commissioned by Orkest de Ereprijs to produce a large ensemble work (Still Life) which premiered at Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2018. In 2017 he was nominated for the Gaudeamus award, after which he has had an extensive collaboration with Gaudeamus in the past several years where they either commissioned or helped to produce three new works. Apart from Gaudeamus Muziekweek, in the past several years his music has been played at important festivals and venues such as Rewire, LeGuessWho?, Korzo Theater, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Orgelpark Amsterdam, TivoliVredenburg, etc. Internationally his music has been played and commissioned in many European countries, as well as the United States and South Korea. He studied music at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade and
graduated with a Master degree in Composition from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag in 2016 (as a student of Martijn Padding and Yannis Kyriakides).
Recognized as a virtuoso, versatile and innovative artist in marimba and percussion, Tatiana Koleva has premiered over 100 works created especially for her solo and ensemble projects. Born in Bulgaria, currently Koleva lives in The Netherlands and
combines her intensive concert agenda with education activities, holding a teaching position at the Prince Claus Conservatory / Hanze University, Groningen, NL. She is the founder and artistic director of the award-winning formation ‘Youth Percussion
Pool’ - an education and performing platform for young professionals and the new biannual festival event ‘Amsterdam Marimba Weekend’. Tatiana Koleva has performed in major concert halls throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Jordan and Mexico and has appeared as a soloist of number of orchestras. Koleva has recorded for NovaLinia Records (her own label), Decca, New World Records, Attacca, Unsounds, Mode Records, Orgelpark Records, Wergo, BVHAAST, ICSM Records and more. Tatiana Koleva is award winner of various International Competitions. In the beginning of 2010 she received the prestigious Prize ‘Musician of the Year 2009’ by the National Radio and the audience of Bulgaria, and her Youth Percussion Pool was awarded “Ensemble of the Year 2012” in that same contest. Just recently Koleva has been granted a ‘Golden Medal’ Special Award of the ‘Manhattan Music Competition 2019’.
Jan Hage is a Dutch concert organist and composer. He is the main organist of the Domkerk in Utrecht. He enjoys an international career as a concert organist, performing at prestigious venues across Europe, Russia, and the USA. As a soloist he performed with Slagwerk Den Haag, Asko|Schönberg and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.As an organist Jan Hage was awarded several prizes at international organ competitions.In 2016 he defended his thesis ’Muziek als Missie. Een luthers geluid in een calvinistische wereld. Een studie naar Willem Mudde en de kerkmuzikale vernieuwingsbeweging’.